WINING & DINING - WINE EXPERT
the DOC region of Prosecco. Glera is an indigenous variety that can produce huge clusters of thin-skinned grapes with terpenes, which give Prosecco its characteristic aromatic nose. There are three major clones of Glera planted: Tondo, Lungo and Nostrano. Tondo translates to “round” and is the most common of the three, accounting for over 90% of all plantings. Lungo means “long” and refers to the elongated berry shape of this grape. Lungo is naturally lower yielding than Tondo and possesses an inherent spiciness in the must that adds complexity to the blends. Nostrano is rarely seen these days, as it is extremely difficult to grow due to its tight bunches.
Perera is indigenous to Valdobbiadene and translates literally to “pear,” which refers to the pear-like perfume it lends to the wines. Almost dying out, Perera has slowly been revitalized, but there are still only about 30 hectares planted today, most are grown in the cru of Cartizze.
Bianchetta Trevigiana is a thick-skinned variety that grows in small bunches. The last of the indigenous varieties is Verdiso, which hails from the Colli Euganei to the south near Padova.
The differences in quality between DOC and DOCG Prosecco are significant. DOCG was established in 2009 and delineates the original DOC, marking the area between the towns of Valdobbiadene in the west and Conegliano in the east; this is the area producing the highest quality wines. Vines grown in and around Valdobbiadene display a savoury identity full of sweet herbs, citrus fruits and an almost salty finish. Wines are made with grapes grown on the steepest slopes. These vineyards are extremely difficult to work and must be tended and harvested by hand and are understandably more expensive, but absolutely worth it.
One of the steepest and most prized hillsides is the cru Cartizze. Until recently, Cartizze was the most expensive vineyard land in all of Italy, selling for more than a million euros per hectare. Cartizze is now surpassed in land prices only by Barolo and Barbaresco. The wines are traditionally dry or extra dry. Historically, this hillside was the first to ripen due to its exposure and therefore the most coveted vineyard land in the region. It does have a cooler-than-average temperature when compared with other sites, which helps to maintain acidity.
Prosecco DOC covers not only a large part of the Veneto, but also Friuli is vastly important and makes up the majority of Prosecco exports. The land is very flat and fertile, not nearly as steep and magnificent as Conegliano Valdobbiadene and so it produces high yielding and simple wines. Colli Asolani is another DOCG for Prosecco to the south and west of Valdobbiadene and is known more for red wine production than sparkling white wine.
‘Rive’ is an interesting development that, in the immediate future, needs to be more clearly communicated to the consumer, by the region, but it is an exciting step towards producers further defining the differences in terroir throughout Conegliano Valdobbiadene. In the local dialect, rive means “hillside vineyard,”
but the term does not indicate a single vineyard, rather it specifies a frazione or hamlet – a delimited area around a small town within a commune that can encompass multiple vineyards. Presently, there are around 43 defined Rive. When blended together from different sites Rive cannot be stated, as labelling laws require all fruit to come from one Rive. Guidelines required for wines labelled Rive state that fruit must be hand-harvested, vintage dated, be Spumante and not Frizzante and that grapes must be harvested at a maximum of 13 ton per hectare, compared to the 13.5 allowed elsewhere in the zone.
So there you have it…not such a simple wine really, but a style that has a long and respected history. We can all, on occasion, be a little ‘sniffy’ about the wines we drink, regardless of the provenance, but like most things in life, when we look a little closer we can spot a worthy gem, where previously we saw only a stone.
It seems that my humble abode is now officially on the ‘Christmas Eve route’ that my children (adults…), their longstanding friends (also adults…) and my friends, undertake on foot. Open house at mine on Christmas Eve has been a very long-standing tradition and each year new people come through the door bearing goodwill and red wine and when they leave, a friendship strong enough to donate a kidney will have been forged.
I wish you all Peace and Goodwill this Christmas….and raise my glass…Santé.
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